Stay of Enforcement Issued in New York Personal Injury Suit

A New York appeals court has issued a stay of enforcement in the $66 million personal injury lawsuit against Cybex International on behalf of a woman who was reportedly paralyzed after one of the company's weight machines fell on top of her six years ago.

Natalia Barnhard, a former physical therapy assistant, claims that a 600-pound machine manufactured by Cybex fell on her, crushing her vertebrae and leaving her a quadriplegic. In December 2010 a court ruled in favor of Barnhard, granting her what is believed to be the single largest personal injury verdict in western New York history.

In a statement, Cybex said it is was not negligent and was in no way responsible for Barnhard's accident. The company plans to "pursue all avenues" to attain either a reversal or significant reduction of the original judgment.

Vertebrae are the bones the make up the spine. Any damage to the spinal column could possibly result in temporary or permanent neurological impairments, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency said approximately 200,000 people in the U.S. are currently living with spinal cord injuries.

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